Reversible electrical contact structure



1964 R. A. PuscH ETAL 3, 61,

REVERSIBLE ELECTRICAL CONTACT STRUCTURE Filed May 17, 1962 ROBERT A. Puss/4, LYLE J WENZEL,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ()fiice 3,151,751 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 3,161,751 REVERSIBLE ELECTREAL CONTACT STRUCTURE Robert A. Pusch, Le Roy, and Lyle J. Wenzel, Normal,

111., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 17, 1962, Ser. No. 195,603 11 Claims. (Cl. 206-166) This invention relates to electrical contact structures and has particular relation to contact structures which are reversible to permit the selective establishment of normally open and normally closed contact conditions.

In devices employing electrical contacts provision has previously been made to convert the contacts between normally open and normally closed conditions so that movement of a contact actuator will close the contacts when normally open and will open the contacts when normally closed. It is highly desirable that the means provided to permit the contact conversion be of simple and inexpensive design with a minimum number of parts and be arranged to allow a rapid conversion with the expenditure of minimum effort by an operator. Previous designs of convertible contact structures have not been entirely satisfactory in that they have failed to include one or more of the above desirable features. In many cases such designs have required that the contacts be completely disassembled from their supporting structure and reassembled in diiferent positions to effect the conversion.

It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a novel and improved reversible electrical contact structure employing a minimum number of comparatively inexpensive parts.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel and improved electrical contact structure which is reversi ble between normally open and normally closed contact conditions without disturbing the mounted position of the contacts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel conditions by simple repositioning of the housing with respect to a contact controlling apparatus.

It is still another object of the invention to provide control apparatus including a contact controlling device and a contact structure having contacts in a housing detachably secured to the control device and convertible between normally open and normally closed contact conditions by simple detachment and repositioning of the housing with respect to the control device.

In carrying out the invention in one preferred form a convertible electrical contact structure is provided including a housing having mounted therein a pair of spaced resilient electroconductive contacts. The housing includes a pair of spaced opposed walls each formed with an apertured section and the housing is adapted for assembly to Y a contact control device in either of two positions relative to the control device. The control device includes a fixed bias member and a movable contact actuator both adapted to extend through a selected one of the apertured sections into the housing. The contacts are arranged so that one of the contacts is normally spaced from the contact actuator when the housing is in either of two positions with respect to the control device, and is deflected by the contact actuator in response to movement of the latter. The other contact is positioned so that when he housing is in one of its positions the bias member flexes such other contact into engagement with the one contact to provide a normally closed contact condition, and is spaced from. the

bias member and also from the one contact when the housing is in the other of its positions soas to provide a normally open contact condition.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of control apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken in side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with parts broken away illustrating the reversible contact structure with the contacts in normally open condition; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the contact structure with the contacts in a normally closed condition.

Referring now to the drawings there is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 a control apparatus represented generally by the numeral 10 and including a contact control device 11 to which is detachably mounted one or more electrical contact structures 12. In FIG. 1 four structures 12 are shown mounted by the device 11. The apparatus 10 may comprise a relay, magnetic contactor, or other contact device.

Each of the structures 12 is of identical construction and includes a housing 13 of any suitable formation which supports a pair of electroconductive contacts 14 and 15 adapted for cooperation with a bias member 16 and a contact actuator 17 both carried by the device 11 and projecting in a common direction from device 11. The bias member 16 is shown fixed to a mounting plate 18 on the device 11 and the actuator 17 is arranged to reciprocate in horizontal directions as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 in response to operation of the device 11 to engage and disengage the contact 15 as will presently appear.

The housing 13 of the contact structure 12 includes a pair of elongated, spaced, generally parallel extending side walls 20 and 21 which are connected by end walls 22 and 23. The side wall 21 is shown in FIG. 2 as abutting the plate 18 and includes an apertured section comprised of a pair of spaced openings 24 and'25 extending entirely through the side wall 21 and configured to'receive respectively the bias member 16 and the actuator 17 which also extends through an opening of plate 18. The structures 12 are secured to the plate 18 of the device 11 in any. suitable manner such as by suitable fastening means.

Conveniently, the structure 12 is attached to the plate 18 by means of the bias member 16 and for this purpose the opening 24 is configured to receive the member 16 with a slight friction fit. The actuator 17 is adapted to freely extend through the opening of plate 13 and the opening 25 so as to be slidable with respect thereto. The structures 12 may be attached to the plate 18 by means of a spring clip 25' as shown in FIG. 1 in which case the bias member 16 is freely received in the opening 24.

In FIG. 2 the contacts 14 and 15 are in a normally open condition and these contacts extend from the end walls 22 and 23 substantially parallel to one another and also to the side walls 20 and 21. The side wall 20 of the structure 1?. also includes an apertured section comprised of a pair of spaced openings 26 and 27 aligned respectively with the openings 24 and 25 of the side Wall 21 and of,

substantially the same size as such openings to permit reception of the bias member 16 and the actuator 17 when for the contact 14. The contact 15extends longitudinally of the housing and is substantially midway between the side walls 20 and 21 coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the housing represented by the dashed line 31 in FIG. 1. The contact 15 includes a terminal part 33 fixed to the end wall 23 and in engagement with a terminal 34 carried by the end wall 23 and having an extension projecting externally of the housing for connection to an electrical circuit. The terminal 34 includes a bowed portion 35 extending within the housing to engage a central part of the contact 15 so as to provide a stop therefor. The contacts 14 and 15 are in overlapping relation and include respectively electroconductive tips 36 and 37 adapted for engagement. The apertures 24 and 26 are aligned along a line generally parallel to the direction of contact deflection and perpendicular to the axis 31. This line of alignment intersects only the contact 14. The apertures 25 and 27 are aligned along a line which is parallel to the line of alignment of apertures 24 and 26 and which intersects only the contact 15.

In FIG. 2 the contacts 14 and 15 are shown in a normally open condition established when the structure 12 is positioned to have the wall 21 abut the plate 18 of the device 11. For this position of the structure 12 the bias member 16 extends within the housing but is out of engagement with the contact 14, and the actuator 17 also extends within the housing and is slightly spaced from the contact 15. In order to close the contacts the actuator 17 is moved toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2 to engage the contact 15 and deflect such contact toward the wall 20 until the tip 37 engages the tip 36 of contact 14. When the actuator 17 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2, the contact 15 is moved under its spring bias back to the normal position shown so that the tip 37 separates from the tip 36. p

In order to convert from the normally open contact condition shown in FIG. 1 to the normally closed contact condition it is only necessary to detach the structure 12 from the device 11 by withdrawing the structure 12 toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2 until the bias member 16 and the actuator 17 are withdrawn from the openings 24 and 25. The structure, 12 is then rotated one hundred and eighty degrees about the axis 31 to position the openings 26 and 27 in alignment with the bias member 16 and the actuator 17 respectively. The structure 12 is then moved toward the plate 18 of the device 11 so that the openings 26 and 27 receive respectively the member 16 and the actuator 17 as shown in FIG. 3. Upon enter:

ing the opening 26 the bias member 16 engages the contact 14 and deflects it to the right as viewed in FIG. 3 away from the stop 34) and toward the contact 15. The arrangement is such that the contact 14 is flexed by the rnember 16 a distance such that the tip 36 of contact 14 ust firmly contacts the tip 37 of contact 15 without effecting substantial displacement of the contact 15 out of its :entral position.

It is noted that for the position of the structure 12 shown in FIG. 3 the actuator 17 assumes the same spaclng from the contact 15 as it does when the structure 12 s positioned as shown in FIG. 2, and this is due to the positioning of the contact 15 along the central longitudinal axis of the housing of the structure 12. This arrangenent results in the desirable feature of actuating the conacts by the same distance of movement of the actuator 17 for either position of the structure 12 with respect he device 11.

When the structure 12 is positioned as in FIG. 3 and he actuator 17 is moved toward the right, it engages the :ontact 15 and flexes such contact away from stop 35 oward the right so that the tip 37 of contact 15 is moved wt of engagement with the tip 36 of contact 14. When he actuator 17 is returned to its position shown in FIG. 3, he contact 15 under its spring bias also returns to its normal position shown in FIG. 3 wherein the tip 37 of contact 15 engages the tip 36 of contact 14 and the central part of contact 15 engages stop 35.

The invention also contemplates the provision of indicia on the structure 12 for indicating to an observer the condition of the contacts 14 and 15. For this purpose indicia 44 in the form of the letters NO in FIG. 2 is located at the lower right hand corner of the housing 13 so as to indicate to an observer that the contacts 14 and 15 are in normally open condition. On the reverse side of the housing 13 and at the lower left hand corner thereof as viewed in FIG. 2 is indicia 41 in the form of the letters NC indicating a normally closed condition of the contacts. When the structure 12 is rotated about the axis 31 to the position shown in FIG. 3, the indicia 41 is presented to the observer at the same area at which appeared the indicia 41) for the contact condition shown in FIG. 2.

When a number of the structures 12 are employed and are mounted in side-by-side relation as shown in FIG. 1, the indicia of each structure 12 is preferably located on the side walls 20 and 2 1 of the housing 13. Thus, in FIG. 1 the indicia 45 of the structure 12 nearest to the observer is in the form of the letters NO on the side wall 20, whereas the indicia 46 is in the form of the letters NC on the side wall 21.

In FIG. 1 the device 11 is shown as including a mounting bracket 50 attached in any suitable manner to a panel or the like to secure the device 11 and the associated structures 12 of the panel.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments thereof, numerous modifications are possible and it is desired to cover all modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A reversible contact structure for association with apparatus having a fixed contact biasing member and a movable contact actuator, said structure including a housing having opposed walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending in opposite directions towards each other in overlapping spaced relation, each of said opposed walls having a pair of spaced apertures for receiving respectively the biasing member and the actuator when the housing is associated with the apparatus in either of two different positions respectively pro viding open and closed contact conditions, the apertures for receiving the actuator being aligned along a first line which is generally parallel to the direction of contact deflection and which intersects only one of said contacts, the apertures for receiving the biasing member being aligned along a second line which is parallel to said first line and which intersects only the other contact, said contacts being positioned such that when the housing is associated with the apparatus said one contact is spaced from the actuator for either position of the housing, and said other contact is biased into engagement with said one contact by the biasing member for one position of the housing and is spaced from the biasing member and from said one contact for the other position of the housing.

2. A reversible contact structure for association with apparatus having a fixed contact biasing member and a movable contact actuator, said structure including a housing having opposed walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending in opposite directions towards each other in overlapping spaced relation, each of said opposed walls having a pair of spaced apertures for receiving respectively the biasing member and the actuatorwhen the housing is associated with the apparatus in either of two diiierent positions respectively providing open and closed contact conditions, the apertures for receiving the actuator being aligned along a first line which is generally parallel to the direction of contact deflection and which intersects only one of said contacts,

the apertures for receiving the biasing member being aligned along a second line which is parallel to said first line and which intersects only the other contact, said contacts being positioned such that when the housing is associated with the apparatus said one contact is spaced from the actuator for either position of the housing, and said other contact is biased into engagement with said one contact by the biasing member for one position of the housing and is spaced from the biasing member and from said one contact for the other position of the housing, said housing having indicia indicating the condition of said contacts and disposed at spaced areas so that the proper indicia is viewable at the same area for each position of the housing.

3. A reversible contact structure for association with apparatus having a fixed contact biasing member and a movable contact actuator, said structure including an elongated housing having opposed substantially parallel walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending in opposite directions generally parallel to said walls in overlapping relation, each of said walls having' a pair of apertures spaced in the direction of elongation of the housing for receiving respectively the biasing memher and the actuator when the housing is associated with the apparatus in either of two positions which are spaced one hundred and eighty degrees about the central longitudinal axis of the housing and which respectively provide open and closed contact conditions, the apertures for receiving the actuator being aligned along a first line which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and which intersects only one of said contacts, the apertures for receiving the biasing member being aligned along a second line which is parallel to said first line and which intersects only the other of said contacts, said one contact extending substantially midway between said walls generally along the central longitudinal axis of the housing, said other contact being closer to one wall than to the other wall, said contacts being positioned such that when the housing is associated with the apparatus said one contact is spaced from the actuator for either position of the housing, and said other contact is biased into engagement with said one contact by the biasing member for one position of the housing and is spaced from the biasing member and from said one contact for the other position of the housing.

4. A reversible contact structure for association with apparatus having a fixed contact biasing member and a movable contact actuator, said structure including an elongated housing having opposed substantially parallel walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending in opposite directions generally parallel to said walls in overlapping relation, each of said walls having a pair of apertures spaced in the direction of elongation of the housing for receiving respectively the biasing member and the actuator when the housing is associated with the apparatus in either of two positions which are spaced one hundred and eighty degrees about the central longitudinal axis of the housing and which respectively provide open and closed contact conditions, the apertures for receiving the actuator being aligned along a first line which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or" the housing and which intersects only one of said contacts, the apertures for receiving the biasing member being aligned along a second line which is parallel to said first line and which intersects only the other of said contacts, said one contact extending substantially midway between said walls generally along the central longitudinal axis of the housing, said other contact being closer to one wall than to the other wall, said contacts being positioned such that when the housing is associated with the apparatus said one contact is spaced from the actuator for either position of the housing, and said other contact is biased into engagement with said one contact by the biasing member 1 6 for one position of the housing and is spaced from the biasing member and from said one contact for the other position of the housing, said housing having indicia indicating the condition of said contacts and disposed at spaced areas so that the proper indicia is viewable at the same area for each position of the housing.

5. A switch device including control apparatus having at a side thereof a fixed bias member and a slidable actuator projecting in a common direction, a reversible contact structure detachably mounted on the side of the apparatus and including a housing having opposed walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted Within the housing in overlapping spaced relation, each of said opposed walls having an apertured section receiving the bias member and the actuator when the housing is mounted in either of two positions relative to the side of the apparatus respectively providing open and closed contact conditions, one of said contacts being positioned so as to be normally spaced from the actuator for either of said positions of the housing and to be deflected by the actuator in response to movement of the actuator, the other of said contacts being positioned so as to be normally biased into engagement with the one contact by the bias member for one position of the housing and to be normally spaced from the bias member and from the one contact for the other position of the housing.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said apertured sections include a pair of spaced apertures of each wall for receiving respectively the bias member and the actuator, said bias member being frictionally received in its opening to detachably mount the contact structure on the side of the apparatus;

7. A switch device including control apparatus having:

at a side thereof a fixed bias member and a slidable actuator projecting in a commondirection, a reversible contact' structure detachably mounted on the side of the apparatus: and including an elongated housing having spaced op.-

posed substantially parallel walls, and a pair of resilient eletcroconductive contacts mounted within the housing extending generally parallel to said walls in overlapped relation, said walls having apertured sections aligned generally in the direction of spacing of said walls for receiving the bias member and the actuator when the housing is in either of two positions which are spaced one hundred and eighty degrees about the central longitudinal axis of the housing and which respectively provide open and closed contact conditions, one of said contacts extending substantially midway between said walls so as to be normally spaced from the actuator for either of said positions of the housing and to be deflected by the actuator in response to movement of the actuator, the other of said contacts being closer to one wall than to the other wall so as to be normally biased into engagement with the one contact by the bias member for one position of the housing and to be normally spaced from the bias member and from the one contact for the other position of the housing.

8. A structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said apertured sections include a pair of apertures of each wall for receiving respectively the bias member and the actuator, said bias member being frictionally received in its opening to detachably mount the contact structure on the side of the apparatus.

9. A switch device including control apparatus having at a side thereof a fixed bias member and a slidable actuator projecting in a common direction, a reversible contact structure detachably mounted on the side of the apparatus and including a housing having opposed walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing in overlapping spaced relation, each of said opposed walls having an apertured section for receiving the bias member and the actuator when the housmg is mounted in either of two positions relative to the side of the apparatus respectively providing open and closed contact conditions, one of said contacts being positioned so as to be normally spaced from the actuator for either of said positions of the housing and to be deflected by the actuator in response to movement of the actuator, the other of said contacts being positioned so as to be normally biased into engagement with the one contact by the bias member for one position of the housing and to be normally spaced frornthe bias member and from the one contact for the other position of the housing, said housing having indicia indicating the condition of said contacts and disposed at spaced areas so that the proper indicia is viewable at the same area for each position of the housing.

10. A switch device including control apparatus having at a side thereof a fixed bias member and a slidable actuator projecting in a common direction, a reversible contact structure detachably mounted on the side of the apparatus and including an elongated housing having spaced opposed substantially parallel walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mounted within the housing extending generally parallel to said walls in overlapped relation, said walls having apertured sections aligned generally in the direction of spacing of said walls for receiving the bias member and the actuator when the housing is in either of two positions which are spaced one hundred and eighty degrees about the central longitudinal axis of the housing and which respectively provide open and closed contact conditions, one of said contacts extending substantially midway between said walls so as to be normally spaced from the actuator for either of said positions of the housing and to be deflected by the actua- ;or in response to movement of the actuator, the other of raid contacts being closer to one wall than to the other Wall so as to be normally biased into engagement with :he one contact by the bias member for one position of the housing and to be normally spaced from the bias mem-. )er and from the one contact for the other position of the housing, said housing having indicia indicating the condiion of said contacts and disposed at spaced areas so that :he proper. 'indicia is viewable at the same area for each position of the housing.

11. A switch device including control apparatus having at a side thereof a fixed bias member and a slidable actuator projecing in a common direction, a reversible contact structure detachably mounted on the side of the apparatus and including an elongated housing having spaced opposed substantially parallel walls, and a pair of resilient electroconductive contacts mountedv Within the housing adjacent opposite ends thereof and extending in opposite directions generally parallel to said walls in overlapping relation, each of said walls having a pair of apertures spaced in the direction of elongation of said housing for respectively receiving the actuator and the bias member when the housing is in either of two positions which are spaced one hundred and eighty degrees about the central longitudinal axis of the housing and which respectively provide open and closed contact conditions, the apertures for receiving the actuator being aligned along a first line which is perpendicular to said walls and which intersects only one of said contacts, the apertures for receiving the bias member being aligned along a second line which is parallel to said first line and which intersects only the other of said contacts, said one of said contacts extending substantially midway between said walls generally along the central longitudinal axis of the housing so as to be spaced from the actuator for either of said positions of the housing and to be deflected by the actuator in response to movement of the actuator, said other contact being closer to one wall than to the other wall so as to be biased into engagement with said one contact by the bias member for one position of the housing and to be spaced from the bias member and from said one contact for the other position of the housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,874,252 2/59 Wenzel et a1 200-166 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. A REVERSIBLE CONTACT STRUCTURE FOR ASSOCIATION WITH APPARATUS HAVING A FIXED CONTACT BIASING MEMBER AND A MOVABLE CONTACT ACTUATOR, SAID STRUCTURE INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING APPOSED WALLS, AND A PAIR OF RESILIENT ELECTROCONDUCTIVE CONTACTS MOUNTED WITHIN THE HOUSING ADJACENT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARDS EACH OTHER IN OVERLAPPING SPACED RELATION, EACH OF SAID OPPOSED WALLS HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APERTURES FOR RECEIVING RESPECTIVELY THE BIASING MEMBER AND THE ACTUATOR WHEN THE HOUSING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPARATUS IN EITHER OF TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY PROVIDING OPEN AND CLOSED CONTACT CONDITIONS, THE APERTURES FOR RECEIVING THE ACTUATOR BEING ALIGNED ALONG A FIRST LINE WHICH IS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF CONTACT DEFLECTION AND WHICH INTERSECTS ONLY ONE OF SAID CONTACTS, THE APERTURES FOR RECEIVING THE BIASING MEMBER BEING ALIGNED ALONG A SECOND LINE WHICH IS PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST LINE AND WHICH INTERSECTS ONLY THE OTHER CONTACT, SAID CONTACTS BEING POSITIONED SUCH THAT WHEN THE HOUSING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPARATUS SAID ONE CONTACT IS SPACED FROM THE ACTUATOR FOR EITHER POSITION OF THE HOUSING, AND SAID OTHER CONTACT IS BIASED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE CONTACT BY THE BIASING MEMBER FOR ONE POSITION OF THE HOUSING AND IS SPACED FROM THE BIASING MEMBER AND FROM SAID ONE CONTACT FOR THE OTHER POSITION OF THE HOUSING. 